There are many things a preacher can preach but are they the Word that Jesus wants that person preaching? Over the years since coming to Jesus in 1989 I have strived to hear from Him just what it is that is for me. I have jumped around quite a bit in my immaturity and allowed other things to take my eyes off THE thing that I am called to publish abroad.
So here I am again calling on His name for the sake of my brethren His bride.
When Jesus declared that He will say to them “I never knew you you who practise lawlessness” I believe that the lawlessness He speaks of is not the breaking of Moses law–because we all fall short every day in some way…but rather He refers to those who are doing their own thing.
Paul said to Titus that there are many insubordinate whose mouths must be stopped. Here is the full context….
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.
Titus 1
These insubordinate ones are those who DO NOT HOLD FAST TO THE FAITHFUL WORD that they have been taught by God through the Apostles..Verse 9. Instead they talk about idle things…and things that are not of the Apostles teaching. In other words they become insubordinate going their own way. They ought NOT TO BE preaching these things…but they do so for gain. Not just monetary gain…but whatever is a gain or win for their ego.
This is what I believe the Lord Jesus means when He said
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Matt 7
You are practising lawlessness when you are out from under the authority that Jesus has brought into your life.
When the seven sons of Sceva were overcome by the demons which they attempted to cast out using the name of Jesus – The demons said that they did not KNOW THEM…they knew Paul, they knew Jesus.
When we are not under delegated authority as Paul was and as Jesus Himself is…we are lawless and thus powerless. God will not endorse what we say and do.
Jesus says “I never knew you” to those doing a lot of things in His name because they ran but He did not send them. They were doing what they thought they should do FOR GOD….but never submitted to God in it –after all He may so NO to them….He may say submit under that ministry or that Teacher etc.
The Roman Centurion understood this perfectly as a soldier under authority of commanders and Generals and the Emperor.
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
Matthew 8
To be honest I have been insubordinate. There have been times when I have been under men of God and they have been abusive to me — at least it felt that way to me. I have fled from them. But Father has of course been with me in my desert wanderings and continued to “use me” at times but He has always been wooing me to stay connected with those He wants me to learn from.
The idea that there are those that we can and should learn from can be annoying to our pride!
“Why can’t You give me MY OWN WORD?!”
Why cant you submit under another’s ministry?
So Paul says to Titus there are many insubordinate doing their own thing, teaching their own word for dishonest gain.
Paul himself could have done the same thing but he tells us plainly that the Lord Jesus Himself taught him the Gospel he preached…he did not get it from any man…did not learn it…he received it by way of revelation straight from Jesus. Galatians 1
And Paul tells us in Philippians 2 …
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
There it is again…Paul calls it selfish ambition or conceit. This horrible thing in many preachers and wanna be preachers — selfish ambition. This is of the Devil himself who is only ever on about self exaltation OVER other people. He refuses to come under authority willingly….he is under God’s authority of course, but not willingly and he is certainly not happy about it. hahaha
Selfish ambition is all about wanting to make self great…to get a name for yourself (tower of Babel stuff). Preachers do that by using God, His Son, His Words, His revelation, His gifts, His grace, His abilities…all turned inward to make self great. It is very hard to see that we do this.
Conversely Jesus through Paul counsels us
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The temptation of Pride is to take the high road and refuse to humble self. To put yourself out there in the public domain as if you are EQUAL to other preachers and teachers and EQUALLY worth listening to. hahaha Such a mind IS NOT THE MIND OF CHRIST!!
Instead Paul is telling us to make that self of yours LITTLE!! Make it of NO REPUTATION…Serve another whom God has anointed. Come under Go’s authority willingly not begrudgingly like Lucifer does. Go low!!! Lower!! heheh..the result of humbling self ->
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2
Paul goes on with more of this “humble yourself under” talk….telling them
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Phil 2
Once you have been taught the faithful word and have been sitting under that word….the temptation comes to go away from it when the teacher is absent….But God is in you isn’t he? And He is the One you are Under ultimately. This is where we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling because God is in you making His will known to you…BUT WILL YOU AGREE with God or will you GO YOUR OWN WAY? The choice is always ours.
Go our own way or go His way? Can we hear this from God or have we shut our ears to such an idea?
We can go our own way and have to put up with demons overcoming us because we are not under delegated authority — just like those 7 men found out. We may even make a name for ourselves with what we do FOR GOD using God’s name and other stuff from His kit….but in the end we will hear those terrible words – ‘I never knew you!! You who practised doing your own thing!’ (lawlessness).
Or we can choose His way and find all heaven backing us up. We will find knew enemies all of a sudden when we go His way because now we stand in His authority chain and not out on our own. Yet as Phil 2:13 says “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” God will be pleased with your choice….Jesus has been this way before you – for your sake.
Again Paul goes further to share with them the battle he had with this selfish ambition monster…
17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
Paul kept choosing to serve them and be poured out for them…when he could easily have chosen to go his own way and make it easier for himself. It was for their faith to grow and not his own selfish gain.
Then to double up on this theme he says
19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
Phil 2
No one like minded who is seeking the things that are of Jesus…instead MOST ARE SEEKING THEIR OWN THINGS…The things which appear to be of God, Christian things….good works of all kinds…BUT NOT THE THINGS THAT ARE OF JESUS.
Selfish ambition and OUR OWN THINGS!! But Christian looking things. God is not fooled by this show of religion…Depart from me I never knew you…Get in the line of authority and receive from above you.
